Generally we haven't given a great deal of attention to vestments of the twentieth century, and in great part this is due to a general decline that was seen with the rise of industrialization that led to lower quality materials. What's more, many of the vestments of this period became fixated on the novelty of the gothic revival. In this regard, what came to be the focal point in many instance was the cut of the vestment, rather than the nobility of its design. There were, however, notable exceptions. One such exception is arguably this cloth of gold set which was manufactured in Lyon in the year 1900.
The Lyonese region was, of course, noteworthy for its legacy in the worldwide silk industry, so it likely should come as little surprise that one of better examples of contemporary, twentieth century vestment work should hail from there. This is a true gold set, made form a spun gold silk lampas. With the gothic revival, figurative images became more popular once again and if one takes a close look at this set, one will see that the fabric is entirely covered with figures and scenes. Because these are done in all in tones of gold, relying heavily also on shadow and light, one is not overwhelmed by these depictions (which one might otherwise easily be).
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| On the dalmatic are found the Adoration of the Magi (not seen here) and Christ teaching in the Temple |
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| On the other tunicle/dalmatic are depicted the Primacy of St. Peter (not seen here) and the Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem |
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| On the chasuble are found the Holy Trinity, the Madonna, the Apostles and angels |
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| The shield/hood of the cope depicts a scene of the Coronation of Blessed Virgin by the Holy Trinity. On the body of the cope, a legion of saints and angels representing heaven |
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| The burse, depicting six-winged seraphs surrounding a budded cross |
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| An example of the stole and maniple |
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